"Keep Them In Your Name"

"Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one."
John 17:11

In this one short verse Jesus sums up the difference between false Christianity and true Christianity.  As He prays to His Father on behalf of His followers ("sheep"--10:2-30, "His own"--13:1), His prayer is very simple and unmistakable:  that God the Father who is sovereign over all things would make sure that His sheep remain sheep regardless of what happens.
A short survey of the surrounding context shows the "troubles" that are sure to come to His disciples:  Jesus' departure and leaving them (14:12), hatred from the world on account of Himself (15:18) and corresponding preaching of the Word anyways (15:27), temptation to fall away (16:1), sorrow (16:19-20), and "tribulation" (16:33).  Surely we mustn't forget perhaps the darkest one of them all:  Jesus' telling Peter that Peter WILL deny Jesus when He is handed over, to which the other gospel accounts show Peter scoffing at Jesus (13:38).  How scary of a statement would it be for an emotionally vulnerable person to hear that they will soon betray that which is most precious to them?--that they are so flappible and so wavering that they WILL have a fall, when it appears that this is the least possible thing that could happen?  It must have been devastating to Peter when he actually DID deny Jesus, and this is why each of the Synoptics have Peter "weeping bitterly" the moment he denies Jesus' fellowship the third time (Mt 26:75, Mk 14:72, Lk 22:62). 
But Jesus' prayer is that the Father will KEEP His followers.  There is nothing more powerful than the prayer of the Author of Life (Ac 3:15) who is the Word of God (Rev 19:13) who has authority over all things (including salvation--Mt 11:27) (Mt 28:18). 

In fact, Lk 22:31-32 has Jesus telling Peter (regarding his eventual fall) that Satan demanded to have him, but "I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail.  And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers."  Peter then says (again) that he won't fall, to which Jesus (again) tells him that he will.  But the point is that Jesus prayed for him.  Jesus' word is more powerful than Satan's.  And this is why He tells Peter "when you have turned again" and not "if you turn again"...it's not up to Peter whether his fall will be final or temporary--it's up to Jesus, as it always is.  It's so sure that Jesus speaks of it almost in past-tense terms:  "When you have turned again...".  This is much like Paul calling Christians those who are "glorifiED" (past tense-->Rom 8:30), as well as those who are "seatED with Christ in the heavenly places" (clearly a future-tense reality, but it's so sure that it's considered a present reality-->Eph 2:6). 

And notice what Jesus tells Peter to do "when he has turned again"--"strengthen your brothers".  Why should Peter do this?  Because in denying Jesus three times like Jesus said He would, Peter sees his utter helplessness in and of himself, but in knowing that he didn't fall away finally because Jesus prayed for him, he will rest in Christ and His sovereignty...and this will make him capable of "strengthening his brothers".  Only when one has absolute and utter faith in Christ's power over themselves will they ever be able to "strengthen" anyone--especially when they are in an important position of authority like Peter was.

Jesus saying trials will come isn't simply a message of His foreknowledge--it's a message of his predestining that these are necessary for a Christian.  Much like that Jesus' betrayal, sentencing, flogging, and crucifixion was predestined by the Father to take place (see Ac 2:23, 3:18, 4:28, 14:27--unmistakable) to bring about salvation to His sheep, His sheep will undergo trials, temptations, and hardships as part of the predestined plan of God as well. 
This is the unmistakable message of Paul:  "We are afflicted...persecuted...struck down..always carrying in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh...this light momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory..." (2 Cor 4:8-11, 17)--notice he thinks there is a purpose for his persecutions...as though God is in control of them.; "We sent Timothy...to establish and exhort you in your faith, that no one may be moved by these afflictions...for we are destined for this" (1 Thes 3:2-3)--very simple message: we are DESTINED, as Christians, for persecutions and trials.
This is the unmistakable message of James: "Count it joy..when you meet trials of various kinds, for...the testing of your faith produces steadfastness...that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing...Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised those who love him..." (Jms 1:2-4, 12)--I wish I could spend more time looking into the depth of this passage and the surrounding context, but that'll be for another time.
This is the unmistakable message of Peter: "Blessed be..God..he has caused us to be born again...(you) by God's power are being guarded through faith for salvation...in this you rejoice, though now for a little while, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith...may be found to result in praise and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ" (1 Pet 1:3-7)--to Peter, these trials are here SO THAT we will praise and glorify Jesus when He returns; again, it's God who brings this about IN us, and He who will bring it to completion, as Paul had elsewhere said in Philippians 1:6. 

Finally, two more points of reference:   
First, twice does the Book of Acts tell us of this point (9:16--when Paul first becomes a Christian, God tells Ananias to take him in, because "(God) will show him how much he must suffer for (God's) name"...as though it was planned; 14:21-22--Paul goes on a ministry tour for the purpose of "strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God"...since it is not only a certainty but something that is necessary for us;
Second, Jesus himself (again) makes clear that this is going to happen as a necessity for their faith (Jn 15:18-20--"If the world hates you, know that it hated me before it hated you...a servant is not greater than his master...if they persecuted me they will also persecute you"...taking all of the above passages into consideration, they persecuted Jesus because God had planned it to take place, and Jesus is telling the disciples that "just like they've done this to me, they will do it to you, too" as though that's part of God's plan...and it is (again, see above passages, esp. Ac 14:21-22, 1 Thes 3:2-3, and 1 Pet 1:3-7).

And remember that both James and Peter said that the Christian life will be full of "various trials" (Jms 1:2, 1 Pet 1:6), meaning it doesn't always just mean social persecution...often it means exactly what we saw earlier that Luke and John had recorded: lapses in faith, temporary falls, lapses in judgment, etc.  Peter also reminds us that "your adversary the Devil prowls around like a lion, seeking someone to devour.  Resist him, firm in the faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world" (1 Pet 5:8-9 {also see v10}), using the exact same language as Genesis 4 when God tells Cain "sin is crouching at the door.  It's desire is for you" (4:7) referring to Cain's jealousy...apparently our battles as Christians aren't always outward, but many times are inward.  But these are necessary, so that we would be made holy, which is God's final will for us (see 1 Thes 4:3,7).

But the point of all of it is that Christ has prayed for us.  He has prayed that, as Christians, we would be kept in the Father's name, that we may be "one" with Him and His Son Jesus.  Being united with Him, we have hope, rest, assurance, and peace that He will bring us through the trials and keep us rooted in Him.  "He who has ears to hear" will hear this and rejoice.  He who doesn't will scoff and say "I'm still in control of my life", and will eventually "fall away" because he never belonged to Christ in the first place (see the intentional language of Heb 3:14 and 6:4-9 and read it carefully, asking for the Spirit's discernment; also 1 Jn 2:18-25 and 5:18-20 and read these carefully as well, with the Spirit's discernment).

"But you beloved...keep yourselves in the love of God"...but that's not all it says!..."now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory...to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever, Amen." (Jude 20-21, 24-25).   The command is clear: "Work out your salvation with fear and trembling...FOR it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure" (Phil 2:12-13).